History project

There are six fundamental rights recognised by the Indian constitution:

!. Right to equality
#. Right to freedom
$. Right against exploitation
%. Right to freedom of religion
&. Cultural and Educational Right, and
'. Right to constitutional remedies
1. The right to equality includes equality before law, prohibition of discrimination
on grounds of religion, race, caste, gender or place of birth, and equality of
opportunity in matters of employment, abolition of untouchability and abolition
of titles.
2. Cultural and Educational Rights are given to the Citizens of India to conserve
their cultural practices and that they must have access to education.
3. The right to freedom includes freedom of speech and expression, assembly,
association or union or cooperatives, movement, residence, and right to practice
any profession or occupation.
4. The right against exploitation prohibits all forms of forced labour, child labour
and trafficking of human beings.
5. The right to freedom of religion includes freedom of conscience and free
profession, practice, and propagation of religion, freedom to manage religious
affairs, freedom from certain taxes and freedom from religious instructions in
certain educational institutes. Cultural and educational rights preserve the right
of any section of citizens to conserve their culture, language or script, and right
of

minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.

6. The right to constitutional remedies is present for enforcement of
Fundamental Rights. The right to privacy is an intrinsic part of Article 21 (the
Right to Freedom) that protects life and liberty of the citizens.
Fundamental rights for Indians have also been aimed at overturning the
inequalities of pre-independence social practices. Specifically, they have also
been used to abolish untouchability and thus prohibit discrimination on the
grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth. They also forbid
trafficking of human beings and forced labour (a crime). They also protect
cultural and educational rights of religious and linguistic minorities by allowing
them to preserve their languages and also establish and administer their own
education institutions. They are covered in Part III (Articles 12 to 35) of the
Indian constitution.
The fundamental duties noted in the constitution are as follows:[106]
It shall be the duty of every citizen of India —
!. To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions,
the National Flag and the National Anthem;
#. To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national
struggle for freedom;
$. To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;
%. to defend the country and render national service when called upon
to do so;
&. to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood
amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic
and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices
derogatory to the dignity of women;
'. To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;
X. To protect and improve the natural environment including forests,
lakes, rivers, wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures;
Y. To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry
and reform;
Z. To safeguard public property and to abjure violence;
![. to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and
collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher
levels of endeavour and achievement;
!!. Who is a parent or guardian, to provide opportunities for education
to his child, or as the case may be, ward between the age of six to
fourteen years.[107]

SIGNIFICANCE OF FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES

a)They serve as a reminder to the citizens that while enjoying their rights, they
should also be conscious of duties they owe to their country, their society
and to their fellow citizens.
 b)
 
They serve as a warning against the anti-national and antisocial activities
like burning the national flag, destroying public property and so on.
c)
 
They serve as a source of inspiration for the citizens and promote a
sense of discipline and commitment among them. They create a feeling
that the citizens are no mere spectators but active participants in the
realisation of national goals.
d)
 
They help the courts in examining and determining the constitutional
validity of a law. In 1992, the Supreme Court ruled that in determining
the constitutionality of any law, if a court finds that the law in question
seeks to give effect to a fundamental duty, it may consider such law to
 be 'reasonable' in relation to Article 14 (equality before law) or Article
19 (six freedoms) and thus save such law from unconstitutionality.
e)
 
They are enforceable by law. Hence, the Parliament can provide for the
imposition of appropriate penalty or punishment for failure to fulfill any
of them.
The importance of fundamental duties is that they define the moral obligations
of
all citizens to help in the promotion of the spirit of patriotism and to uphold the
unity of India.

THE CONSTITUTION

The Constitution of India (IAST: Bhāratīya Saṃvidhāna) is the supreme law of

India.[1][2] The document lays down the framework demarcating fundamental
political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government
institutions and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties
of citizens. It is the longest written constitution of any country on earth.[b][3][4]
[5] B. R. Ambedkar, chairman of the drafting committee, is widely considered to
be its chief architect.[6]
Constitution of India

It imparts constitutional supremacy (not parliamentary supremacy, since it was

created by a constituent assembly rather than Parliament) and was adopted by
its people with a declaration in its preamble.[7][full citation needed] Parliament
cannot override the constitution.
It was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 26 November 1949 and
became effective on 26 January 1950.[8] The constitution replaced the
Government of India Act, 1935 as the country's fundamental governing
document, and the Dominion of India became the Republic of India. To ensure
constitutional autochthony, its framers repealed prior acts of the British
parliament in Article 395.[9] India celebrates its constitution on 26 January as
Republic Day.[10]
The constitution declares India a sovereign, socialist, secular,[11] democratic
republic, assuring its citizens justice, equality and liberty, and endeavours to
promote fraternity.[12] The original 1950 constitution is preserved in a helium-
filled case at the Parliament House in New Delhi. The words "secular" and
"socialist" were added to the preamble in 1976 during the emergency.

THE PREAMBLE

The preamble to the Constitution of India is a brief introductory statement that

sets out guidelines, which guides the people of the nation, and to present the
principles of the Constitution, and to indicate the source from which the
document derives its authority, and meaning[1] The hopes and aspirations of the
people are described in it. The preamble can be referred to as the preface which
highlights the entire Constitution. It was adopted on 26 November 1949 by the
Constituent Assembly and came into effect on 26 January 1950, celebrated as
the Republic day in India.

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute

India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them
all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and
integrity of the Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this 26th day of November,
1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS
CONSTITUTION.